Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Policy Requirements and General Section to the FY2007 SuperNOFA for HUD's Discretionary Programs, 2396-2420 [07-131]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 11 (Thursday, January 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2396-2420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-131]



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Part III





Department of Housing and Urban Development





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Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Notice of Funding Availability 
(NOFA); Policy Requirements and General Section to the FY2007 SuperNOFA 
for HUD's Discretionary Programs; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 11 / Thursday, January 18, 2007 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5100-N-01]


Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Notice of Funding 
Availability (NOFA) Policy Requirements and General Section to the 
FY2007 SuperNOFA for HUD's Discretionary Programs

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of HUD's FY2007 NOFA Policy Requirements and General 
Section to the FY2007 SuperNOFA for HUD's Discretionary Programs 
(notice).

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SUMMARY: This notice provides prospective applicants for HUD 
competitive funding with the opportunity to become familiar with the 
General Section of HUD's FY2007 SuperNOFA, in advance of publication of 
the FY2007 SuperNOFA. HUD plans to publish its annual SuperNOFA early 
in 2007. Early publication of the General Section is one of several 
steps instituted to improve the funding process for the grantee 
community. Early publication of the General Section gives prospective 
applicants additional time to become familiar with and address 
provisions in the General Section, which constitute part of almost 
every individual program application. HUD will publish with the 
SuperNOFA any changes to this General Section made after today's 
publication.
    HUD will continue to require that applicants submit their 
applications electronically via Grants.gov. To submit an application 
via Grants.gov, new users will be required to complete a five-step 
registration process, which can take 2 to 4 weeks to complete. The 
process includes ensuring that information provided by your 
organization to Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) matches information previously 
provided by your organization and contained in Internal Revenue Service 
(IRS) records. If there is a discrepancy in the information, the 
registration cannot be completed until discrepancy issues are resolved. 
Applicants that are already registered have to update the information 
previously provided in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). 
During the update process, the CCR will check the D&B information 
against the IRS records for your organization. If there are 
discrepancies, the update cannot be completed until the discrepancies 
are resolved. Please allow adequate time to resolve any registration 
issues. To submit an application to HUD, the Authorized Organization 
Representative (AOR) must be able to make a legally binding agreement 
for the organizational entity. Please see detailed registration 
instructions in Section IV.B. of this notice.
    For FY2007, the Continuum of Care applications are the lone 
SuperNOFA paper applications that HUD will accept without first 
granting a waiver. Continuum of Care applicants should be aware that 
HUD intends to have the Continuum of Care applicants applying via 
Grants.gov no later than FY2008. Therefore, it is in the interest of 
Continuum of Care applicants to complete the Grants.gov registration 
process in anticipation of moving to electronic application submission 
in 2008. Continuum of Care agencies would benefit from becoming 
familiar with the Grants.gov filing requirements so that they do not 
limit their ability to apply for funding from federal sources. HUD 
recommends that all prospective applicants take the time to carefully 
read the Federal Register notice published on October 31, 2006, 
entitled ``Notice of Opportunity to Register Early and other Important 
Information for Electronic Application Submission via Grants.gov'' and 
register prior to the publication of the Program Sections of the FY2007 
SuperNOFA. The early registration notice can be found on HUD's Web site 
at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Departmental Grants 
Management and Oversight, Office of Administration, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 3156, 
Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone number (202) 708-0667. Persons 
with hearing or speech impairments may access this number via TTY by 
calling the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year, HUD strives to improve its 
competitive funding process. In FY 2005, HUD successfully migrated a 
majority of its funding opportunities to electronic application 
submission. In FY 2006, over 99 percent of applicants successfully 
submitted applications electronically for HUD's grant programs. While a 
majority of HUD's applicants were able to make the transition to 
electronic government, HUD wants to enable all applicants to make the 
transition. To ease concerns, HUD has developed a Desktop User Guide 
for Submitting Electronic Grant Applications. The user guide provides 
step-by-step details and screen shots of the entire registration and 
application submission process, including troubleshooting application 
submission errors. HUD updates the guide regularly and it is available 
at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/deskuserguide.pdf.
    In addition, HUD's Early Registration Notice provides step-by-step 
instructions for applicants who must register with Grants.gov and also 
provides renewal instructions for those who have previously registered. 
The renewal instructions are simple and easy to follow, but must be 
completed before an applicant's registration in the CCR expires. 
Failure to update the registration in the CCR will require an applicant 
to go through the entire registration process again. As part of the CCR 
renewal process, CCR checks the information provided to Dun and 
Bradstreet (D&B) against IRS records. If a discrepancy in the 
information is found, the applicant must correct the discrepancy before 
the renewal process can be completed. Applicants are urged to check the 
information they provided to D&B, CCR, and the IRS to ensure 
consistency. HUD believes that early publication of the General Section 
is beneficial to prospective applicants by providing advance notice of 
the Department's threshold requirements, strategic goals, policy 
priorities, and other comprehensive requirements that are applicable to 
almost every individual NOFA that comprises the SuperNOFA. The General 
Section, as in the past, is structured to refer the reader to the 
individual program NOFAs. Although the program NOFAs are not being 
published at this time, the references are retained. This way, when the 
Program Sections of the FY2007 SuperNOFA are published, they will be 
fully reconciled with the General Section, as has been the case since 
1998 when the SuperNOFA was first published. Applicants interested in 
receiving e-mail notification of the availability of the program 
sections should go to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_
subscription.jsp and sign up for e-mail notification of funding 
opportunities. By doing so, you will receive an e-mail as soon as the 
program NOFA portion of the SuperNOFA is available on Grants.gov.
    It is HUD's intent to have every applicant (the exception being 
Continuum of Care applicants who will still be submitting paper 
applications in FY 2007) successfully submit an electronic application 
via Grants.gov in FY 2007. You can help HUD improve its outreach and 
program NOFAs by providing feedback on ways it can improve the 
SuperNOFA process. Please note that each application contains a ``You 
Are Our Client'' survey questionnaire. HUD requests that you respond to 
this survey to let the Department know what improvements

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have been beneficial and to share your ideas on where improvements can 
continue to be made. HUD carefully considers the comments received from 
its clients and continually strives to improve each year's SuperNOFA 
and its funding process. This publication includes a list of programs 
anticipated to be in the FY2007 SuperNOFA, subject to the availability 
of funds. The program NOFA portion of the SuperNOFA will include any 
changes made to this listing and provide projected funding available 
and application deadline dates.
    HUD hopes that the steps that it has taken to provide information 
early in the FY2007 funding process and SuperNOFA requirements will be 
of benefit to you, our applicants.

    Dated: January 4, 2007.
Roy A. Bernardi,
Deputy Secretary.

Overview Information

    A. Federal Agency Name: Department of Housing and Urban Development 
(HUD), Office of the Secretary.
    B. Funding Opportunity Title: Policy requirements applicable to all 
HUD NOFAs published during FY2007.
    C. Announcement Type: Initial announcement of the general policy 
requirements that apply to all HUD federal financial assistance NOFAs 
for FY2007 issued simultaneous with or after the publication of this 
notice.
    D. Funding Opportunity Number: FR 5100-N-01.
    E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: A CFDA 
number is provided for each HUD federal financial assistance program. 
When using ``Apply Step 1'' on the Grants.gov Web site to download an 
application, you will be asked for the CFDA number. Please refer to the 
program NOFA for the CFDA number assigned to the program(s) for which 
you wish to apply. Use only the CFDA number, the Funding Competition 
Identification Number, OR the Funding Opportunity Number when using the 
search feature on Grants.gov. Using more than one of these items will 
result in an error message indicating that the opportunity cannot be 
found.
    F. Dates: The deadline dates that apply to the federal financial 
assistance made available through HUD's FY2007 SuperNOFA will be found 
in the program NOFAs contained in the published SuperNOFA. HUD is 
currently operating under a Continuing Resolution and it is expected 
that appropriations for FY2007 will be enacted soon. Appendix A to this 
General Section lists the programs that were included in the FY2006 
SuperNOFA. This list should not be understood as a final or 
comprehensive list of the programs that will be published in the FY2007 
SuperNOFA. For example, the Youthbuild program, which was included in 
the FY2006 SuperNOFA, was transferred to the United States Department 
of Labor on September 22, 2006 in accordance with Public Law 109-281 
and will not be included in the FY2007 SuperNOFA. Additionally, FY2007 
appropriations, when enacted, may result in other changes to the list 
of programs issued for FY2007. When published, the SuperNOFA will 
contain a revised Appendix A to the General Section providing the final 
list of programs included in the SuperNOFA, funds available under each 
funding opportunity, and key deadline dates. The contents of Appendix A 
will be based upon the enacted appropriations.
    G. Additional Overview Content Information: Unless otherwise 
stated, HUD's general policy requirements set forth in this notice 
apply to all HUD federal financial assistance made available through 
HUD's FY2007 NOFAs. These policies cover those NOFAs issued through the 
FY2007 SuperNOFA, and those NOFAs issued after publication of the 
SuperNOFA.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This notice describes HUD's FY2007 policy requirements applicable 
to all of HUD's NOFAs published in FY2007. Each such NOFA will contain 
a description of the specific requirements for the program for which 
funding is made available and each will refer to applicable policies 
described in this General Section. Each program NOFA will also describe 
additional procedures and requirements that apply to the individual 
program NOFA, including a description of the eligible applicants, 
eligible activities, threshold requirements, factors for award, and any 
additional program requirements or limitations. To adequately address 
all of the application requirements for any program for which you 
intend to apply, please carefully read and respond to both this General 
Section and the individual program NOFAs.
    Authority. HUD's authority for making funding available under its 
FY2007 programs is identified in each program NOFA under this section 
of the General Section.

II. Award Information

    Funding Available. Each program NOFA will identify the estimated 
amount of funds available in FY2007 based on available appropriations 
plus funds from previous years available for award in FY2007. Appendix 
A to this notice contains a chart of the programs that were included in 
the FY2006 SuperNOFA. This list should not be understood as a final or 
comprehensive list of the programs that will be published in the FY2007 
SuperNOFA. For example, the Youthbuild program, which was included in 
the FY2006 SuperNOFA, was transferred to the United States Department 
of Labor on September 22, 2006 in accordance with Public Law 109-281 
and will not be included in the FY2007 SuperNOFA. Additionally, FY2007 
appropriations, when enacted, may result in other changes to the list 
of programs issued for FY2007. When published, the SuperNOFA will 
contain a revised Appendix A to the General Section providing the final 
list of programs included in the SuperNOFA, funds available under each 
funding opportunity, and key deadline dates. The contents of Appendix A 
will be based upon the enacted appropriations. Note that additional 
program NOFAs may be published separately from the FY2007 SuperNOFA.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    The individual program NOFAs describe the eligible applicants and 
eligible activities for each program.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    The individual program NOFAs describe the applicable cost sharing, 
matching requirements, or leveraging requirements related to each 
program, if any. Although matching or cost sharing may not be required, 
HUD programs often encourage applicants to leverage grant funds with 
other funding in order to receive higher rating points.

C. Other Requirements and Procedures Applicable to All Programs

    Except as may be modified in the individual program NOFAs, the 
requirements, procedures, and principles listed below apply to all HUD 
programs in FY2007 for which funding is announced by NOFA and published 
in the Federal Register. Please read the individual program NOFAs for 
additional requirements and information.
    1. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements. To be eligible for 
funding under HUD NOFAs issued during FY2007, applicants must meet all 
statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the program or 
programs

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for which they seek funding. Applicants requiring program regulations 
may obtain them from the NOFA Information Center or through HUD's 
Grants Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
fundsavail.cfm. See the individual program NOFAs for instructions on 
how HUD will respond to proposed activities that are ineligible.
    2. Threshold Requirements
    a. Ineligible Applicants. HUD will not consider an application from 
an ineligible applicant.
    b. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number 
Requirement. All applicants seeking funding directly from HUD must 
obtain a DUNS number and include the number in its Application for 
Federal Assistance submission. Failure to provide a DUNS number will 
prevent you from obtaining an award, regardless of whether it is a new 
award or renewal of an existing one. This policy is pursuant to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy issued in the Federal 
Register on June 27, 2003 (68 FR 38402). HUD published its regulation 
implementing the DUNS number requirement on November 9, 2004 (69 FR 
65024). A copy of the OMB Federal Register notice and HUD's regulation 
implementing the DUNS number can be found on HUD's Web site at 
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/duns.cfm.
    c. Compliance with Fair Housing and Civil Rights Laws
    (1) With the exception of federally recognized Indian tribes and 
their instrumentalities, applicants must comply with all applicable 
fair housing and civil rights requirements in 24 CFR 5.105(a). If you 
are a federally recognized Indian tribe, you must comply with the 
nondiscrimination provisions enumerated at 24 CFR 1000.12, as 
applicable. In addition to these requirements, there may be program-
specific threshold requirements identified in the individual program 
NOFAs.
    (2) If you, the applicant:
    (a) Have been charged with an ongoing systemic violation of the 
Fair Housing Act; or
    (b) Are a defendant in a Fair Housing Act lawsuit filed by the 
Department of Justice alleging an ongoing pattern or practice of 
discrimination; or
    (c) Have received a letter of findings identifying ongoing systemic 
noncompliance under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or Section 109 of the Housing 
and Community Development Act of 1974, and the charge, lawsuit, or 
letter of findings referenced in subparagraphs (a), (b), or (c) above 
has not been resolved to HUD's satisfaction before the application 
deadline, then you are ineligible and HUD will not rate and rank your 
application. HUD will determine if actions to resolve the charge, 
lawsuit, or letter of findings taken before the application deadline 
are sufficient to resolve the matter.
    Examples of actions that would normally be considered sufficient to 
resolve the matter include, but are not limited to:
    (i) A voluntary compliance agreement signed by all parties in 
response to a letter of findings;
    (ii) A HUD-approved conciliation agreement signed by all parties;
    (iii) A consent order or consent decree; or
    (iv) An issuance of a judicial ruling or a HUD Administrative Law 
Judge's decision.
    d. Conducting Business in Accordance with Core Values and Ethical 
Standards/Code of Conduct. Applicants subject to 24 CFR parts 84 and 85 
(most nonprofit organizations and state, local, and tribal governments 
or government agencies or instrumentalities that receive federal awards 
of financial assistance) are required to develop and maintain a written 
code of conduct (see 24 CFR 84.42 and 85.36(b)(3)). Consistent with 
regulations governing specific programs, your code of conduct must 
prohibit real and apparent conflicts of interest that may arise among 
officers, employees, or agents; prohibit the solicitation and 
acceptance of gifts or gratuities by your officers, employees, or 
agents for their personal benefit in excess of minimal value; and 
outline administrative and disciplinary actions available to remedy 
violations of such standards. Before entering into an agreement with 
HUD, an applicant awarded assistance under a HUD program NOFA announced 
in FY2007 will be required to submit a copy of its code of conduct and 
describe the methods it will use to ensure that all officers, 
employees, and agents of its organization are aware of its code of 
conduct. An applicant is prohibited from receiving an award of funds 
from HUD if it fails to meet this requirement for a code of conduct. An 
applicant who submitted an application during FY2005 or FY2006 and 
included a copy of its code of conduct will not be required to submit 
another copy if the applicant is listed on HUD's Web site https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/codeofconduct/cconduct.cfm and if 
the information has not been revised. An applicant not listed on the 
above website must submit a copy of its code of conduct with their 
FY2007 application for assistance. An applicant must also include a 
copy of its code of conduct if the information listed on the above 
website has changed (e.g., the person who submitted the previous 
application is no longer your authorized organization representative, 
the organization has changed its legal name or merged with another 
organization, or the address of the organization has changed, etc.). 
Any applicant that needs to may submit its code of conduct to HUD via 
facsimile using the form HUD-96011, ``Facsimile Transmittal'' (``Third 
Party Documentation Facsimile Transmittal'' on Grants.gov) at the time 
of application submission. When using the facsimile transmittal form, 
please type the requested information. Use the HUD-96011 as the cover 
page to the submission and include the following header in the top line 
of the form under ``Name of Document Being Requested:'' ``Code of 
Conduct for (insert your organization's name, city, and state).'' Fax 
the information to HUD's toll-free number at (800) HUD-1010. If you 
cannot access an 800 number or have problems, you may use (215) 825-
8798 (this is not a toll-free number). HUD updates its code of conduct 
website annually before publishing the SuperNOFA. Therefore, applicants 
that submitted codes of conduct in FY2006 will find that their 
information has been updated and is available online for the FY2007 
application submission time frame.
    e. Delinquent Federal Debts. Consistent with the purpose and intent 
of 31 U.S.C. 3720B and 28 U.S.C. 3201(e), HUD will not award federal 
funds to an applicant that has an outstanding delinquent federal debt 
unless: (1) the delinquent account is paid in full, (2) a negotiated 
repayment schedule is established and the repayment schedule is not 
delinquent, or (3) other arrangements satisfactory to HUD are made 
prior to the deadline date.
    f. Pre-Award Accounting System Surveys. HUD may arrange for a pre-
award survey of the applicant's financial management system if the 
recommended applicant has no prior federal support, if HUD's program 
officials have reason to question whether the applicant's financial 
management system meets federal financial management standards, or if 
the applicant is considered a high risk based upon past performance or 
financial management findings. HUD will not disburse funds to any 
applicant that does not have a financial management system that meets 
federal standards. (Please see 24 CFR part 84.21 if you are an 
institution of higher

[[Page 2399]]

education, hospital, or other nonprofit organization. See 24 CFR part 
85.20 if you are a state, local government, or federally recognized 
Indian tribe).
    g. Name Check Review. Applicants are subject to a name check review 
process. Name checks are intended to reveal matters that significantly 
reflect on the applicant's management and financial integrity, 
including if any key individual has been convicted or is presently 
facing criminal charges. If the name check reveals significant adverse 
findings that reflect on the business integrity or responsibility of 
the applicant or any key individual, HUD reserves the right to: (1) 
Deny funding or consider suspension or termination of an award 
immediately for cause, (2) require the removal of any key individual 
from association with management or implementation of the award, and 
(3) make appropriate provisions or revisions with respect to the method 
of payment or financial reporting requirements.
    h. False Statements. A false statement in an application is grounds 
for denial or termination of an award and possible punishment as 
provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
    i. Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities. Applicants are subject 
to the provisions of Section 319 of Public Law 101-121 (approved 
October 23, 1989) (31 U.S.C. 1352) (the Byrd Amendment), which 
prohibits recipients of federal contracts, grants, or loans from using 
appropriated funds for lobbying the executive or legislative branches 
of the federal government in connection with a specific contract, 
grant, or loan. In addition, applicants must disclose, using Standard 
Form LLL (SF-LLL), ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' any funds, 
other than federally appropriated funds, that will be or have been used 
to influence federal employees, members of Congress, or congressional 
staff regarding specific grants or contracts. Federally recognized 
Indian tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) 
established by federally recognized Indian tribes as a result of the 
exercise of the tribe's sovereign power are excluded from coverage of 
the Byrd Amendment, but state-recognized Indian tribes and TDHEs 
established only under state law must comply with this requirement. 
Applicants must submit the SF-LLL if they have used or intend to use 
federal funds for lobbying activities.
    j. Debarment and Suspension. In accordance with 24 CFR part 24, no 
award of federal funds may be made to applicants that are presently 
debarred or suspended, or proposed to be debarred or suspended, from 
doing business with the federal government.
    3. Other Threshold Requirements. The individual program NOFAs for 
which you are applying may specify other threshold requirements. 
Additional threshold requirements may be identified in the discussion 
of ``eligibility'' requirements in the individual program NOFAs. If a 
program NOFA requires a certification of consistency with the 
Consolidated Plan and the applicant fails to provide a certification, 
and such failure is not cured as a technical deficiency, HUD will not 
fund the application. If HUD is provided a signed certification 
indicating consistency with the area's approved Consolidated Plan and 
HUD finds that the activities are not consistent with the Consolidated 
Plan, HUD will not fund the inconsistent activities or will deny 
funding the application if a majority of the activities are not 
consistent with the approved Consolidated Plan. The determination not 
to fund an activity or to deny funding may be determined by a number of 
factors, including the number of activities being proposed, the impact 
of the elimination of the activities on the proposal, or the percent of 
the budget allocated to the proposed activities.
    4. Additional Nondiscrimination and Other Requirements. Applicants 
and their subrecipients must comply with:
    a. Civil Rights Laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), the Age Discrimination Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act 
of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.).
    b. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. Under Section 808(e)(5) 
of the Fair Housing Act, HUD has a statutory duty to affirmatively 
further fair housing. HUD requires the same of its funding recipients. 
If you are a successful applicant, you will have a duty to 
affirmatively further fair housing opportunities for classes protected 
under the Fair Housing Act. Protected classes include race, color, 
national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status. Unless 
otherwise instructed in the individual program NOFA, your application 
must include specific steps to:
    (1) Overcome the effects of impediments to fair housing choice that 
were identified in the jurisdiction's Analysis of Impediments (AI) to 
Fair Housing Choice;
    (2) Remedy discrimination in housing; and
    (3) Promote fair housing rights and fair housing choice.
    Further, you, the applicant, have a duty to carry out the specific 
activities provided in your responses to the individual program NOFA 
rating factors that address affirmatively furthering fair housing. 
These requirements apply to all HUD programs announced via a NOFA, 
unless specifically excluded in the individual program NOFA.
    c. Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons 
(Section 3). Certain programs to be issued during FY2007 require 
recipients of assistance to comply with Section 3 of the Housing and 
Urban Development Act of 1968 (Section 3), 12 U.S.C. 1701u (Economic 
Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons in Connection with 
Assisted Projects), and the HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 135, 
including the reporting requirements at subpart E. Section 3 requires 
recipients to ensure, to the greatest extent feasible, that training, 
employment, and other economic opportunities will be directed to low- 
and very-low income persons, particularly those who are recipients of 
government assistance for housing, and to business concerns that 
provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons in 
the area in which the project is located. Review the individual program 
NOFAs to determine if Section 3 applies to the program for which you 
are seeking funding. Applicants required to comply with Section 3 
requirements must report annually using form HUD-60002 or HUD's online 
system at https://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/system/index.cfm. 
Copies of form HUD-60002 are available on HUDClips at https://
www.hudclips.org/sub_nonhud/html/nph-
brs.cgi?d=FRMS&s1=hud-
6$[no]&op1=AND&SECT1=TXTHLB&SECT5=FRMS&u=./
forms.htm&p=1&r=3&f=G.
    d. Ensuring the Participation of Small Businesses, Small 
Disadvantaged Businesses, and Women-Owned Businesses. HUD is committed 
to ensuring that small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, and 
women-owned businesses participate fully in HUD's direct contracting 
and in contracting opportunities generated by HUD financial assistance. 
Too often, these businesses still experience difficulty in accessing 
information and in successfully bidding on federal contracts. State, 
local, and tribal governments are required by 24 CFR 85.36(e) and 
nonprofit recipients of assistance (grantees and sub-grantees) by 24 
CFR 84.44(b) to take all necessary affirmative steps in contracting for 
the purchase of goods or services to assure that minority firms, 
women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms

[[Page 2400]]

are used whenever possible or as specified in the individual program 
NOFAs.
    e. Real Property Acquisition and Relocation. HUD-assisted programs 
or projects are subject to the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real 
Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (Uniform Act or 
URA) (42 U.S.C. 4601), and the government-wide implementing regulations 
issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation at 49 CFR part 24. The 
Uniform Act's protections and assistance apply to acquisitions of real 
property and displacements resulting from the acquisition, 
rehabilitation, or demolition of real property for federal or federally 
assisted programs or projects. With certain limited exceptions, real 
property acquisitions for a HUD-assisted program or project must comply 
with 49 CFR part 24, subpart B. Real property acquisitions conducted 
without the threat or use of eminent domain, commonly referred to as 
``voluntary acquisitions,'' must satisfy the applicable requirements of 
49 CFR 24.101(b)(1) through (5) to be exempt from the URA's acquisition 
policies. Evidence of compliance with these requirements must be 
maintained by the recipient. The URA's relocation requirements remain 
applicable to any tenant(s) who are displaced by an acquisition and who 
meet the requirements of 49 CFR 24.101(b)(1) through (5).
    The relocation requirements of the Uniform Act, and its 
implementing regulations at 49 CFR part 24, cover any person who moves 
permanently from real property or moves personal property from real 
property as a direct result of acquisition, rehabilitation, or 
demolition for a program or project receiving HUD assistance. While 
there are no statutory provisions for ``temporary relocation'' under 
the URA, the URA regulations recognize that there are circumstances 
where a person will not be permanently displaced but may need to be 
moved from a project for a short period of time. Appendix A of the URA 
regulation (49 CFR 24.2(a)(9)(ii)(D)) explains that any tenant who has 
been temporarily relocated for a period beyond one year must be 
contacted by the displacing agency and offered URA relocation 
assistance. Some HUD program regulations provide additional protections 
for temporarily relocated tenants. For example, 24 CFR 583.310(f)(1) 
provides guidance on temporary relocation for the Supportive Housing 
program for the homeless. Before planning their project, applicants 
should review the regulations for the programs for which they are 
applying. The URA does not apply to displacements resulting from the 
demolition or disposition of public housing covered by Section 18 of 
the United States Housing Act of 1937.
    Additional information and resources pertaining to real property 
acquisition and relocation for HUD-funded programs and projects are 
available on HUD's Real Estate Acquisition and Relocation Web site at 
https://www.hud.gov/relocation. You will find applicable laws and 
regulations, policy and guidance, publications, training resources, and 
a listing of HUD contacts if you have questions or need assistance.
    f. Executive Order 13166, ``Improving Access to Services for 
Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).'' Executive Order 13166 
seeks to improve access to federally assisted services, programs, and 
benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency. Applicants 
obtaining an award from HUD must seek to provide access to program 
benefits and information to LEP individuals through translation and 
interpretive services in accordance with LEP guidance published on 
December 19, 2003 (68 FR 70968). HUD expects final guidance to be 
published in January 2007. For assistance and information regarding 
your LEP obligation, go to https://www.lep.gov.
    g. Executive Order 13279, ``Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-
Based and Community Organizations.'' HUD is committed to full 
implementation of Executive Order 13279. The Executive Order 
established fundamental principles and policymaking criteria to guide 
federal agencies in formulating and developing policies that have 
implications for faith-based and community organizations to ensure the 
equal protection for these organizations in social service programs 
receiving federal financial assistance. Consistent with this order, HUD 
has undertaken a review of all policies and regulations that have 
implications for faith-based and community organizations and has 
established a policy priority to provide full and equal access to 
grassroots faith-based and other community organizations in HUD program 
implementation. HUD revised its program regulations in 2003 and 2004 to 
remove the barriers by participation of faith-based organizations in 
HUD funding programs (68 FR 56396, September 30, 2003; 69 FR 41712, 
July 9, 2004; and 69 FR 62164, October 22, 2004). Copies of the 
regulatory changes can be found at https://www.hud.gov/offices/
adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm.
    h. Accessible Technology. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 
(Section 508) requires HUD and other federal departments and agencies 
to ensure, when developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic 
and information technology (EIT), that the EIT allow, regardless of the 
type of medium of technology, persons with disabilities to access and 
use information and data on a comparable basis as is made available to 
and used by persons without disabilities. Section 508's coverage 
includes, but is not limited to, computers (hardware, software, word 
processing, email, and Internet sites), facsimile machines, copiers, 
and telephones. Among other things, Section 508 requires that unless an 
undue burden would result to the federal department or agency, EIT must 
allow individuals with disabilities who are federal employees or 
members of the public seeking information or services to have access to 
and use information and data on a comparable basis as that made 
available to employees and members of the public who are not disabled. 
Where an undue burden exists to the federal department or agency, 
alternative means may be used to allow a disabled individual use of the 
information and data. Section 508 does not require that information 
services be provided at any location other than a location at which the 
information services are generally provided. HUD encourages its funding 
recipients to adopt the goals and objectives of Section 508 by 
ensuring, whenever EIT is used, procured, or developed, that persons 
with disabilities have access to and use of the information and data 
made available through the EIT on a comparable basis as is made 
available to and used by persons without disabilities. This does not 
affect recipients' required compliance with Section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act and, where applicable, the Americans with 
Disabilities Act.
    i. Procurement of Recovered Materials. State agencies and agencies 
of a political subdivision of a state that are using assistance under a 
HUD program NOFA for procurement, and any person contracting with such 
an agency with respect to work performed under an assisted contract, 
must comply with the requirements of Section 6002 of the Solid Waste 
Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
    In accordance with Section 6002, these agencies and persons must 
procure items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of 
recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a 
satisfactory level of

[[Page 2401]]

competition, where the purchase price of the item exceeds $10,000 or 
the value of the quantity acquired in the preceding fiscal year 
exceeded $10,000; must procure solid waste management services in a 
manner that maximizes energy and resource recovery; and must have 
established an affirmative procurement program for procurement of 
recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines.
    j. Participation in HUD-Sponsored Program Evaluation. As a 
condition of the receipt of financial assistance under a HUD program 
NOFA, all successful applicants will be required to cooperate with all 
HUD staff or contractors who perform HUD-funded research or evaluation 
studies.
    k. Executive Order 13202, ``Preservation of Open Competition and 
Government Neutrality Towards Government Contractors'' Labor Relations 
on Federal and Federally Funded Construction Projects.'' Compliance 
with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 5.108 that implement Executive Order 
13202 is a condition of receipt of assistance under a HUD program NOFA.
    l. Salary Limitation for Consultants. Unless specifically 
authorized by law, FY2007 funds may not be used to pay or to provide 
reimbursement for payment of the salary of a consultant, whether 
retained by the federal government or the grantee, at a rate more than 
the equivalent of the high pay for members of the Senior Executive 
Service (SES). For information on Executive Pay Band levels, please see 
the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Web site at https://
www.opm.gov/oca/06tables/html/es.asp.
    m. OMB Circulars and Government-wide Regulations Applicable to 
Financial Assistance Programs. Certain OMB Circulars also apply to HUD 
programs in the SuperNOFA. The policies, guidance, and requirements of 
OMB Circulars A-87 (Cost Principles Applicable to Grants, Contracts and 
Other Agreements with State and Local Governments), A-21 (Cost 
Principles for Education Institutions), A-122 (Cost Principles for 
Nonprofit Organizations), A-133 (Audits of States, Local Governments, 
and Non-Profit Organizations), and the regulations at 24 CFR part 84 
(Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals, and other Non-Profit Organizations), and 24 CFR part 85 
(Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to 
State, Local, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments), may 
apply to the award, acceptance, and use of assistance under the 
individual program NOFAs of the SuperNOFA, and to the remedies for 
noncompliance, except when inconsistent with the provisions of HUD's 
appropriations act for FY2007, other federal statutes or regulations, 
or the provisions of this notice. Compliance with additional OMB 
circulars or government-wide regulations may be specified for a 
particular program in the Program Section of the SuperNOFA. Copies of 
the OMB circulars may be obtained from Executive Office of the 
President Publications, New Executive Office Building, Room 2200, 
Washington, DC 20503; telephone (202) 395-3080 (this is not a toll-free 
number) or (800) 877-8339 (toll-free TTY Federal Information Relay 
Service); or from the following Web site: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/circulars/.
    n. Environmental Requirements. If you become a recipient under a 
HUD program that assists in physical development activities or property 
acquisition, you are generally prohibited from acquiring, 
rehabilitating, converting, demolishing, leasing, repairing, or 
constructing property, or committing or expending HUD or non-HUD funds 
for these types of program activities, until one of the following has 
occurred:
    (1) HUD has completed an environmental review in accordance with 24 
CFR part 50; or
    (2) For programs subject to 24 CFR part 58, HUD has approved a 
recipient's Request for Release of Funds (form HUD-7015.15) following a 
Responsible Entity's completion of an environmental review.
    You, the applicant, should consult the individual program NOFA for 
any program for which you are interested in applying to determine the 
procedures for, timing of, and any modifications or exclusions from 
environmental review under a particular program. For applicants 
applying for funding under the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the 
Elderly program or Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with 
Disabilities program, please note the environmental review requirements 
for these programs.
    o. Conflicts of Interest. If you are a consultant or expert who is 
assisting HUD in rating and ranking applicants for funding under the 
SuperNOFA or future NOFAs published in FY2007, you are subject to 18 
U.S.C. 208, the federal criminal conflict-of-interest statute, and the 
Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch 
regulation published at 5 CFR part 2635. As a result, if you have 
assisted or plan to assist applicants with preparing applications for 
programs in the SuperNOFA or NOFAs published in FY2007, you may not 
serve on a selection panel and you may not serve as a technical advisor 
to HUD. Persons involved in rating and ranking HUD FY2007 NOFAs, 
including experts and consultants, must avoid conflicts of interest or 
the appearance of such conflicts. Persons involved in rating and 
ranking applications must disclose to HUD's General Counsel or HUD's 
Ethics Law Division the following information, if applicable: how the 
selection or non-selection of any applicant under the FY2007 SuperNOFA 
will affect the individual's financial interests, as provided in 18 
U.S.C. 208, or how the application process involves a party with whom 
the individual has a covered relationship under 5 CFR 2635.502. The 
person must disclose this information before participating in any 
matter regarding a FY2007 NOFA. If you have questions regarding these 
provisions or concerning a conflict of interest, you may call the 
Office of General Counsel, Ethics Law Division, at (202) 708-3815 (this 
is not a toll-free number).
    p. Drug-Free Workplace. Applicants awarded funds from HUD are 
required to provide a drug-free workplace. Compliance with this 
requirement means that the applicant will:
    (1) Publish a statement notifying employees that it is unlawful to 
manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess, or use a controlled 
substance in the applicant's workplace and that such activities are 
prohibited. The statement must specify the actions that will be taken 
against employees for violation of this prohibition. The statement must 
also notify employees that, as a condition of employment under the 
federal award, they are required to abide by the terms of the statement 
and that each employee must agree to notify the employer in writing of 
any violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace no 
later than 5 calendar days after such violation;
    (2) Establish an ongoing drug-free awareness program to inform 
employees about:
    (a) The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace;
    (b) The applicant's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace;
    (c) Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, or employee 
maintenance programs; and
    (d) The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse 
violations occurring in the workplace;
    (3) Notify the federal agency in writing within 10 calendar days 
after receiving notice from an employee of a drug abuse conviction or 
otherwise receiving actual notice of a drug abuse conviction. The 
notification must be

[[Page 2402]]

provided in writing to HUD's Office of Departmental Grants Management 
and Oversight, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh 
Street, SW., Room 3156, Washington, DC 20410-3000, along with the 
following information:
    (a) The program title and award number for each HUD award covered;
    (b) The HUD staff contact name, phone, and fax numbers;
    (c) A grantee contact name, phone, and fax numbers; and
    (4) Require that each employee engaged in the performance of the 
federally funded award be given a copy of the drug-free workplace 
statement required in item (1) above and notify the employee that one 
of the following actions will be taken against the employee within 30 
calendar days of receiving notice of any drug abuse conviction:
    (a) Institution of a personnel action against the employee, up to 
and including termination consistent with requirements of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; or
    (b) Imposition of a requirement that the employee participate 
satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program 
approved for such purposes by a federal, state, or local health, law 
enforcement, or other appropriate agency.
    q. Safeguarding Resident/Client Files. In maintaining resident and 
client files, HUD funding recipients shall observe state and local laws 
concerning the disclosure of records that pertain to individuals. 
Further, recipients are required to adopt and take reasonable measures 
to ensure that resident and client files are safeguarded.
    r. Compliance with the Federal Funding Accountability and 
Transparency Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-282). Applicants receiving an 
award from HUD should be aware of the requirements of the Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which calls for 
the establishment of a central website that makes available to the 
public full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds. The 
only exemptions to this law are federal transactions below $25,000 and 
credit card transactions prior to October 1, 2006. Grantees should be 
aware that the law requires the information provided on the federal 
website to include the following elements related to all subaward 
transactions, except as noted above:
    (1) The name of the entity receiving the award;
    (2) The amount of the award;
    (3) Information on the award including the transaction type, 
funding agency, the North American Industry Classification System code 
or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number (where applicable), 
program source, and an award title descriptive of the purpose of each 
funding action;
    (4) The location of the entity receiving the award and primary 
location of performance under the award, including the city, state, 
congressional district, and country;
    (5) A unique identifier of the entity receiving award and of the 
parent entity of the recipient, should the entity be owned by another 
entity; and
    (6) Any other relevant information specified by OMB.
    Additional information regarding these requirements will be 
provided when available.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Addresses to Request Application Package

    This section describes how applicants may obtain application forms 
and request technical assistance.
    1. Copies of the published NOFAs and application forms for HUD 
programs made available at Grants.gov can be found at https://
apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html.
    2. Technical Assistance and Resources for Electronic Grant 
Applications.
    a. Grants.gov Customer Support. Applicants having difficulty 
accessing the application and instructions or having technical problems 
can receive customer support from Grants.gov by calling (800) 518-
GRANTS (this is a toll-free number) or by sending an e-mail to 
support@grants.gov. The customer support center is open from 7 a.m. to 
9 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. 
The customer service representatives will assist applicants in 
accessing the information and addressing technology issues.
    b. Desktop Users Guide for Submitting Electronic Grant 
Applications. HUD has published on its Web site a detailed Desktop 
Users Guide that walks applicants through the electronic process, 
beginning with finding a funding opportunity, completing the 
registration process, and downloading and submitting the electronic 
application. The guide includes helpful step-by-step instructions, 
screen shots, and error-proof tips to assist applicants in becoming 
familiar with submitting applications electronically. The guide is 
available online at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
deskuserguide.pdf.
    c. HUD's Registration Brochure. HUD has a registration brochure 
that provides detailed information on the registration process. See 
https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/regbrochure.pdf.
    d. HUD's Finding and Applying for Grant Opportunities Brochure. HUD 
also has a brochure that will guide you through the process of finding 
and applying for grants. See HUD's Finding and Applying for Grant 
Opportunities brochure at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
findapplybrochure.pdf.
    e. HUD's NOFA Information Center. Applicants that do not have 
Internet access and need to obtain a copy of a NOFA can contact HUD's 
NOFA Information Center toll-free at (800) HUD-8929. Persons with 
hearing or speech impairments may access this number via TTY by calling 
the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. The NOFA 
Information Center is open between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. 
eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
    f. HUD Staff. HUD staff will be available to provide you with 
general guidance and technical assistance about this notice or about 
individual program NOFAs. However, HUD staff is not permitted to help 
prepare your application. Following selection of applicants, but before 
announcement of awards are made, HUD staff is available to assist in 
clarifying or confirming information that is a prerequisite to the 
offer of an award or annual contributions contract (ACC) by HUD. If you 
have program-related questions, follow the instructions in Section VII 
of the Program Section entitled ``Agency Contact(s)'' in the program 
NOFA under which you are applying.
    g. Connecting with Communities: A User's Guide to HUD Programs and 
the FY2007 NOFA Process Guidebook. A guidebook to HUD programs will be 
available from the HUD NOFA Information Center and at the HUD's Funds 
Available Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
fundsavail.cfm after the publication of the SuperNOFA. The guidebook 
provides a brief description of all HUD programs that have funding 
available in FY2007, identifies eligible applicants for the programs, 
and provides examples of how programs can work in combination to serve 
local community needs.
    h. SuperNOFA Webcasts. HUD provides technical assistance and 
training on its programs announced through NOFAs. The NOFA broadcasts 
are interactive and allow potential applicants to obtain a better 
understanding of the threshold, program, and application submission 
requirements for funding. Participation in this training opportunity is 
free of

[[Page 2403]]

charge and can be accessed via HUD's Web site at www.hud.gov/offices/
adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm. The SuperNOFA Webcast schedule can be found 
via HUD's Web site at https://www.hud.gov/webcasts/index.cfm.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

    1. Instructions on How to Register for Electronic Application 
Submission. Applicants must submit their applications electronically 
through Grants.gov. Before you can do so, you must complete several 
important steps to register as a submitter. The registration process 
can take approximately 2 to 4 weeks to complete. Therefore, 
registration should be done in sufficient time before you submit your 
application. This section provides information on how to register with 
Grants.gov. There are five sequential registration steps required for 
an applicant to complete:
     a. Step one is to obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number for your organization. All applicants 
seeking funding directly from HUD must obtain a DUNS number and include 
the number on the form SF-424, Application for Federal Financial 
Assistance, which is part of the application submission. Failure to 
provide a DUNS number will prevent you from obtaining an award, 
regardless of whether it is a new award or renewal of an existing one. 
This policy is pursuant to the OMB policy issued in the Federal 
Register on June 27, 2003 (68 FR 38402). HUD published its regulation 
implementing the DUNS number requirement on November 9, 2004 (69 FR 
65024). A copy of the OMB Federal Register notice and HUD's regulation 
implementing the DUNS number can be found on HUD's Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/duns.cfm. Applicants cannot 
submit applications electronically without a DUNS number entry. 
Applicants should also be aware that the applicant information entered 
and used to obtain the DUNS number will be used to pre-populate the 
Central Contractor Registration (CCR), which is required as part of the 
registration process. Applicants should carefully enter and review 
their information when obtaining a DUNS number.
    When completing the application, applicants will be asked to 
provide their DUNS number on the SF-424. Applicants must carefully 
enter the DUNS number on the application package, making sure it is 
identical to the DUNS number under which the Authorized Organization 
Representative is registered to submit an application. If the DUNS 
number entered on the application package does not match the 
registration, the application will be rejected. For details about the 
error messages received when submitting with the wrong DUNS number, 
please see HUD's Desktop Users Guide for Submitting Electronic Grant 
Applications at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
deskuserguide.pdf. Applicants can obtain a DUNS number by calling (866) 
705-5711 (this is a toll-free number). The approximate time to get a 
DUNS number is 10 to 15 minutes, and there is no charge. You should 
wait approximately 24 to 48 hours to register with the CCR so that your 
DUNS number can become active in Dun and Bradstreet's (D&B) records.
    b. Step two is to register with the CCR.
    Grant applicants must register with CCR to begin the electronic 
application submission process. The CCR is the primary vendor database 
for the federal government. In addition, your CCR registration must be 
renewed/updated annually. Failure to update/renew your CCR registration 
will cause your Grants.gov registration to be invalid and you will not 
be able to submit an application for funding. Registration can take 
several weeks, so HUD urges any applicant that has not completed or 
updated its registration to do so immediately because the changes to 
the CCR registration processing noted below may prohibit you from 
attempting to make these changes in the last few days prior to the 
deadline date. Applicants can register with the CCR at https://
www.ccr.gov/. The CCR registration process consists of completing a 
Trading Partner Profile (TPP), which contains general, corporate, and 
financial information about your organization. While completing the 
TPP, you will need to identify an E-Business Point of Contact (E-
Business POC), who will be responsible for maintaining the information 
in the TPP and giving authorization to individuals to serve as 
Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs). The AOR will submit 
applications through Grants.gov for your organization.
    (1) CCR Use of D&B Information. At the end of July 2006, a policy 
change to the CCR name and address information was implemented. Under 
this new policy, instead of obtaining name and address information 
directly from the registrant, CCR will obtain the following data fields 
from D&B: Legal Business Name, Doing Business As Name (DBA), Physical 
Address, and Postal Code/Zip+4. Registrants will not be able to enter/
modify these fields in CCR; they will be pre-populated using D&B Data 
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) record data. During new registration 
or when updating a record, the registrant has a choice to accept or 
reject the information provided from D&B. Under the revised system, if 
the CCR registrant agrees with the D&B-supplied information, the D&B 
data will be accepted into the CCR registrant record. If the registrant 
disagrees with the D&B-supplied information, the registrant will need 
to go to the D&B Web site https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform to modify the 
information currently contained in D&B's records before proceeding with 
its CCR registration. Once D&B confirms modifications, the registrant 
must revisit the CCR Web site and ``accept'' D&B's changes. Only at 
this point will the D&B data be accepted into the CCR record. This 
process can take up to 2 business days for D&B to send modified data to 
CCR, and that time frame may be longer if data is sent from abroad.
    (2) CCR EIN/TIN Validation. On October 30, 2005, CCR began 
validating the Employer Identification Number (EIN)/Taxpayer 
Identification Number (TIN) and the Employer/Taxpayer Name of each new 
and updating CCR registrant with the IRS. The EIN/TIN matching process 
is a joint effort between the General Services Administration, 
Department of Defense, and IRS to improve the quality of data in 
government acquisition systems. A notice has gone out to CCR 
registrants informing them of the IRS validation in CCR registration. 
In order to complete your CCR registration and qualify as a vendor 
eligible to bid for federal government contracts or apply for federal 
grants, the EIN/TIN and Employer/Taxpayer Name combination you provide 
in the IRS Consent Form must match exactly to the EIN/TIN and Employer/
Taxpayer Name used in federal tax matters. It will take at least one to 
two business days to validate new and updated records prior to becoming 
active in CCR. Therefore, please be sure that the data items provided 
to D&B match information that you have provided to the IRS. Otherwise, 
when the validation check with IRS is done, the registrations in D&B 
and the CCR will not match the IRS information and an error message 
will result. This will prevent the registration from being completed 
until the discrepancies have been resolved. Applicants should allow 
sufficient time to review their D&B and CCR information. If you have 
questions about your EIN or TIN, call (800) 829-4933.
    c. Step three requires that the designated Authorized Organization 
Representative (AOR) from the organization register with the Credential

[[Page 2404]]

Provider. In order to safeguard the security of your electronic 
information, Grants.gov utilizes a Credential Provider to determine 
with certainty that someone is really who he or she claims to be. Your 
organization will need to be registered with the CCR and you will need 
to have your organization's DUNS number available to complete this 
process. An assigned AOR must register with the Credential Provider to 
create and receive a username and password, which are needed to submit 
an application package through Grants.gov. Applicants can register with 
the Credential Provider at https://apply.grants.gov/OrcRegister.
    Beginning August 30, 2007, organizations will have three federally 
approved credential providers from which to choose their authentication 
services--the Agriculture Department; OPM's Employee Express; and, the 
current provider, Operational Research Consultants, Inc. (ORC). Users 
who already hold a Grants.gov user name and password through ORC will 
not experience much change. New users will be able to choose from the 
credential providers on the list.
    d. Step four requires the AOR to register with Grants.gov in order 
to submit an electronic grant application. To submit an application to 
HUD, an AOR must be able to make a legally binding commitment on behalf 
of the applicant. The AOR can register with Grants.gov and submit an 
application on the same day. Applicants can register with Grants.gov at 
https://apply.grants.gov/GrantsgovRegister.
    e. Step five requires the E-Business point of contact (POC) to 
approve the designated AORs. The E-Business POC can designate the AOR 
to submit applications on behalf of the organization at https://
apply.grants.gov/agency/AorMgrGetID.
    2. Instructions on How to Download an Application Package and 
Application Instructions
    a. The Application Package and Application Instructions. The 
general process for downloading, completing, submitting, and tracking 
grant application packages is described at https://www.grants.gov/
applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. To download the application 
and instructions, go to https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_
idx.html and enter the CFDA Number, Funding Opportunity Number, or 
Funding Opportunity Competition ID for the application that you are 
interested in. If you enter more than one criterion, you will not find 
the instructions. You will then come to a page where you will find the 
funding opportunity Download Application & Instructions links. The 
first thing you should do is download the Instructions by clicking on 
the Download Instructions link. The Instructions contain the General 
and Program Sections for the funding opportunity, as well as forms that 
are not part of the application download but are included as elements 
of a complete package as specified in the published NOFA. The second 
thing you should do is download the application by clicking on the 
Download Application link. Both the Instructions and Application can be 
saved to your desktop. You do not need to be registered to download and 
read the instructions or complete the application; however, once you 
have downloaded the application and intend to submit an application, 
you must save it on your computer.
    Each program NOFA also includes a checklist. Please review the 
checklist in the Program Section to ensure